How to Host a Seed-Starting Party

Sow good times with friends by hosting an annual seed soiree.

By Rachael Liska

Markus Spiske (public domain)

Timing is everything. Sow most annuals and vegetables indoors no earlier than six weeks before the last expected frost date.

Cue the crocus and send in the songbirds. Spring is finally here, so throw a seed-starting party as the perfect way to celebrate. There, you’ll build budding friendships or cultivate connections as old as dirt—and jump-start your garden.

Welcome guests with gifts

An inexpensive pair of pretty garden gloves and a DIY floral crown set the tone. Form floral wire into a circle, wrap with floral tape, and tape on fresh or faux flowers and greenery. Adorn with ribbon, if desired.

Set out the basics

Provide containers appropriate for starting seeds—peat pots, plastic seedling flats or paper egg cartons. Add sterile seed-starting mix, large spoons, a spray water bottle and plenty of newspaper to cover the workspace. Fill a basket with a collection of seed packets from which guests can choose. Vegetables like tomatoes, peppers and beans are good choices, as are easy-to-grow ornamentals such as snapdragons, coleuses, cosmos and zinnias. Visit birdsandblooms.com/blog/start-seeds-indoors for more information on getting your seedlings off to a good start.

Serve snacks in terra-cotta pots

Serve fresh veggies, dips, snack mixes and sweets in clean terra-cotta pots that have been lined with a food-safe container. Or plan a springtime salad bar on your patio. You can also make “potted plant” chocolate puddings: Spoon homemade or purchased chocolate pudding into small plastic cups, then top with ground Oreos and a sprig of mint. (Get more details on how to make these sweet treats at i-heart-baking.blogspot.com.)

Decorate with fresh-cut flowers in vases or colorful watering cans. Offer herb- and fruit-infused water in clear glass pitchers. Keep chilled by freezing herbs and edible flowers into ice cubes.

Make personalized plant markers

Paint old clothespins, wooden spoons, or small, smooth rocks in vibrant colors. Once the paint is dry, use a black Sharpie to note the seeds you planted. Or stick
a wine cork with the plant’s name written on it sideways onto the end of a bamboo skewer. (Get the instructions here!)